Welcome to Sharp Talk. This is Paul Adamson and I'm in conversation with Jean-Claude Perris.

Jean-Clau Beres ran the legal service of the Council and Ministers of the European Union for 23 years

and had a key hand in drafting all the EU treaties that were implemented during those 23 years.

Jean-Claude, we did our last podcast back in January this year, where you very much wanted us to talk

about the transition that the UK government would have to negotiate with the EU 27 as part of the

Article 15, Brexit, broader negotiations. Fast forward several months, the British government has finally caught up with you,

and in the past three four weeks the government has seems to have acknowledged

it has to have some kind of transition agreement with the EU 27.

From your perspective, what is the rationale for the UK to have such a transition?

Well, it was quite obvious for an EU lawyer that a transition was unavoidable.

Why?

Because Article 50 is about exiting the European Union.

And any agreement with a country leaving the European Union and the European Union for the future relations between them

have to take effect, to be negotiated signed and taking effect after the Brexit, after the exit of this country.

So it was sure from the beginning that first there is to negotiate an agreement on the basis

of Article 50 with the rules which are provided by the treaty.

And then, only then, you can negotiate something which will take place sooner or later, but afterwards, not in the same time.

That was always impossible. And it is why I am really amazed by what happens in the UK since

years. Amazed by?

I am amazed by the politicians because I know the civil servants in the UK and I know they know all that.

And I'm sure they are loyal with their government and I'm sure they have said that to the

government and they did not believe it.

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